Didn't really have a rooting interest in the game the other night (Broncos fan), but loved watching the game unfold.
I think the spike was the right call. Here's why :
1. You need that last timeout for a Field Goal try. You never want to spend your last timeout with 40+ seconds on the clock.
2. When you use your last timeout, the middle of the field becomes un-usable in that circumstance. Limiting Dak to using just the sidelines when Green Bay knows it is a recipe for an interception or a stupid play that could lose you the game. Almost any sack pretty much guarantees you a loss as well. Spiking the ball keeps the whole playbook open.
3. Cowboys were going for the touchdown. They thought they could win the game on that drive, and if that's what you think, you're not afraid of the two downs to get 10 yards. The two plays immediately preceding the spike were both first down passes. (25 yards and 10 yards, I believe) Green Bay couldn't stop you at all in the second half. Dak was locked in, and was playing well beyond his years. As a playcaller, at this point I would be very confident in my ability to score a touchdown, while the clock would be the only concern.
Add that all up, and I think the spike was the right call. It was about a 50/50 call that had to be made in a split second, but I think they made the right one. Of course in hindsight, if you knew you weren't going to get 10 yards in the next two plays, you would do things differently, but that's not how the world works. Knowing what we did at the time, I would absolutely do the same thing and I think most other NFL coaches would too.
Bonus : Dak is the real deal. I thought he was a novelty that would get figured out by the end of the season. I was wrong. He will be fun to watch in the years to come. It will be interesting to see his sophomore progression versus what the league learns about him in the offseason film study.
I think the spike was the right call. Here's why :
1. You need that last timeout for a Field Goal try. You never want to spend your last timeout with 40+ seconds on the clock.
2. When you use your last timeout, the middle of the field becomes un-usable in that circumstance. Limiting Dak to using just the sidelines when Green Bay knows it is a recipe for an interception or a stupid play that could lose you the game. Almost any sack pretty much guarantees you a loss as well. Spiking the ball keeps the whole playbook open.
3. Cowboys were going for the touchdown. They thought they could win the game on that drive, and if that's what you think, you're not afraid of the two downs to get 10 yards. The two plays immediately preceding the spike were both first down passes. (25 yards and 10 yards, I believe) Green Bay couldn't stop you at all in the second half. Dak was locked in, and was playing well beyond his years. As a playcaller, at this point I would be very confident in my ability to score a touchdown, while the clock would be the only concern.
Add that all up, and I think the spike was the right call. It was about a 50/50 call that had to be made in a split second, but I think they made the right one. Of course in hindsight, if you knew you weren't going to get 10 yards in the next two plays, you would do things differently, but that's not how the world works. Knowing what we did at the time, I would absolutely do the same thing and I think most other NFL coaches would too.
Bonus : Dak is the real deal. I thought he was a novelty that would get figured out by the end of the season. I was wrong. He will be fun to watch in the years to come. It will be interesting to see his sophomore progression versus what the league learns about him in the offseason film study.
